Star Wars Resistance – “Dangerous Business”

Welcome to my latest review for Star Wars Resistance. It took me a few weeks to get into the show, but by the end of “The High Tower” I knew that I was in for the long haul and have decided to start writing about it. This post will be focusing on episode 13: “Dangerous Business”

Plot Summary

Yeager, Tam and Neeku arrive at the garage early in the morning with the intention of working on the Fireball, only to find that Kaz has already done the majority of the work needed. Kaz explains that he knew Tam wanted to be able to fly the ship that afternoon so made a deal with Flix and Orka to look after Acquisitions for the day while they go to visit Flix’s mother.

Before leaving, the pair give Kaz a number of tips for running the store, including keeping his fingers away from their pet Gorg (aptly called Bitey) and not selling anything from the back room. Kaz and BB-8 get off to a decent start, serving one customer relatively successfully.

“I’m not doomed! Don’t say I’m doomed! I’ve been in way worse situations than this.”

A second customer arrives, introducing himself as Teroj Kee, a member of the Mining Guild, and saying that he ordered a phase connector several weeks ago. Checking the stock, Kaz states that Acquisitions has no record of the order. There is one phase connector in the back room, but it is not for sale as it has already been sold to another mining colony offworld. While arguing with Kaz, Teroj Kee has his hand bitten by Bitey, by way of apology, Kaz asks if there is anything else he wants, Kee puts in a large order and requests Kaz deliver it to his locker at Loading Dock 23.

Kaz leaves BB-8 to look after the store while delivering the goods, but when he arrives at the Loading Docks he is locked in a container at gunpoint by Teroj Kee, who arranges for the container to be dropped into the sea.

“OK, maybe this is way worse than I thought…”

Kee breaks into Acquisitions to steal the phase connector. BB-8 puts up a good fight, but is unable to stop him and is eventually trapped under a fallen shelf. Back in the container, Kaz uses a welder and lens he had brought with him as part of the order to cut open the door just in time to escape the container before it is dropped into the sea. He follows Kee onto his ship in an attempt to steal back the phase connector, but after sneaking onboard, he finds out that there are stormtroopers there and that Kee is working for the First Order. Before he and Bitey (who had stowed away on the phase connector) can get away, the cargo bay is sealed and the ship takes off.

Kaz uses Bitey to break the cables from the power coupling, causing the ship to begin crashing into the sea. Despite their best attempts, neither Kaz nor Teroj Kee and the stromtroopers are able to get the phase connector before having to escape the ship. Kaz flies his escape pod (with Bitey) back the Colossus, while Kee and 2 stormtroopers fly away to the First Order while contacting Commander Pyre to report their failure.

Flix and Orka arrive back at Acquisitions before Kaz can tidy up from Kee’s fight with BB-8. While initially angry, they let Kaz off after hearing what has happened – Kee has been trying to steal from them for ages and they are happy that he did not get away with the goods – however they do say that Kaz will have to continue working for them to pay off his debt having lost the phase connector.

“That is unfortunate. Captain Phasma will not be pleased. Report back at once.”

When Kaz asks the pair what a phase connector is, they explain that it is used for excavating and drilling to crack open asteroids and planetoids during heavy mining. Kaz gets the feeling that this is bad news and prepares to contact Poe, wondering if this is a way to get more dedlanite or something else…

Review

I want to start by saying how happy I am that not only has Kaz clearly progressed since the show began, but that it is also something being picked up by other characters as it shows that it has not been lazy writing. Kaz has massively improved in his mechanical aptitude and while he is still not perfect, he can do a largely passable job, which I think also allowed him to be able to rescue himself from the container. I also really like how not only did he appreciate how his actions have caused issues for Tam, but how she appreciated his efforts to make it up to her and went easier on his mechanical mistakes. I also like how Kaz is recognising how shady so many people on the Colossus are rather than blindly trusting everyone.

I was not initially a fan of the recurring joke about Bitey trying to bite everyone and thought it was being overdone, but having seen how that is then used later in the episode and having watched a couple of times, I do not have as much of a problem with this now, though as with many moments I have not felt so great about in this show I feel that a younger audience will have enjoyed this.

“Now, minding the store is simple, so pay attention.”

“Take their order… take their money.”

“Customer’s always right… take their money.”

“When in doubt, take their money.”

I also just want to take a moment to mention BB-8’s fight with Teroj Kee. It was great to see BB-8 using a range of gizmos to try to beat him, but I also really liked that his size and strength proved too much as sometimes it can feel like the droids can easily become unbeatable, especially in the animated shows. It was also a great way to separate Kaz from his backup, leading to him having to go up against Kee and the First Order on his own.

This was by no means one of my favourite episodes of the series, but I felt that things improved a little once it was revealed that the First Order were involved and Teroj Kee was working for them. I liked his mention of working for the Mining Guild as we saw in Rebels that they worked alongside the Empire, so it makes sense to see them now working with the First Order. I can’t help but wonder though what the phase connector was wanted for. The obvious answer would be Starkiller Base, but I’ve had the feeling from what we have seen in the show and the trailer that the base is further along in its timeline so this would not be required. It could be to get more dedlanite to increase the number of weapons for the First Order’s growing army (we’re only months away at most from the First Order taking over the galaxy), or perhaps it could be working towards something we’re yet to see, that could appear in Episode IX or in later episodes/seasons of Resistance.

“Look, I don’t have any credits! Flix and Orka don’t pay me… My real job barely pays me! I’m just doing this as a favour!”

Overall, this was an OK episode, but it’s not one that I will be going back to watch as regularly as some of the other episodes. I would say that it’s lower points are better than those in“Bibo”, but it does not have the same high points as that episode had, so I would be more likely to watch that episode again of the two.

Moments in Canon

Flix describes his father as part Gungan, but Orka points out that (as we know) Gungan’s don’t have feathers

What did you think about the episode? Thanks for reading and May the Force be with you…